The present invention relates generally to improvements in scuba diving equipment, and more particularly to achieving attachment of a pony tank to a main air supply tank to such an extent as to obviate inadvertent unattachment therebetween, but without undermining the ability to effectuate quick release of the pony tank from the main tank should circumstances warrant doing so.
The practice in scuba diving is well documented in prior patents of supplementing the air supply of the diver using a so-called pony tank attached to the main tank, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,886 for xe2x80x9cScuba Accessory Interchange Systemxe2x80x9d issued to Lawner et al. on Feb. 21, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,302 for xe2x80x9cScuba Tank Mounting Mechanismxe2x80x9d issued to Spergel on May 25, 1999, to mention but a few.
In the ""886 patent, cooperating male and female brackets provide the attaching function and a separate mechanism appertainment to the female bracket has to be disengaged to provide the disengaging function, and in the ""302 patent, brackets are similarly used to provide the attaching function, and the removal of clamps is involved in effectuating disengagement of the pony tank. In these, and all other known patents, the attaching and unattaching functions are, of course, provided, but the latter or unattaching function is not achieved with any noteworthy rapidity, as would result, for example, with a simplified operating mode such as an applied finger pressure. Yet, a quick release of the main tank/pony tank assembly is often desirable in emergency and other circumstances.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a quick release of the two tank assembly overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object to effectuate engagement of the pony tank to the main tank under spring urgency, and to disengage the two tanks with finger pressure applied in opposition to the spring urgency to contribute to rapidity in the disengagement, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.